I worked with many lovely-mannered Impressive horses at a Halter show barn. The only "crazy" Impressive bred horse I've personally known was a stallion who was poorly handled before arriving in our care - too much going against him to blame the bloodline.

The horses on our ranch were all started by the same reining trainer. Three of them are spur sour. I don't know how much is breeding and how much is training. Three have bad front legs. Sire and dam had beautiful, straight legs.Posted via Mobile Device

I personally am not a fan of Impressive bred horses. One bc the HYPP stuff. And two, because the ones who have a good amount of the blood in them, tend to seem to be a bit tempermental and difficult. I was at a barn who had a filly. And she had been worked with correctly, the trainer is a very good trainer. But if she didn't want to do something she would just rear up or fart and buck around some while you were just leading her. Considering she was too young to be broke. She was just annoying at the least. The trainer did all she could with the filly. But no matter what, when the filly felt it was a good time she would do it. She ended up being sold. Just not something I have any desire to deal with.

Everyone has different experiences. I've dealt with several seriously reactive, nervous, bucky Doc Bar offspring, but heard other people love them.

I typically avoid halter and western pleasure breeding like the plague, but my 4 year old is halter on the top, pleasure on the bottom, and the most willing, cooperative mare you can ask for, and very intelligent, she thinks through every scenario. Too smart actually, she steals the BO's fencing tools and dumps them in the waterer just because she's bored

I have seen people that can't stand thoroughbreds, but I have worked with a lot of good ones. Every horse is an individual.

There are many textbook trainers who have one method of dealing with difficult animals. How many figure out a method that gets the animal to want to do something. There is nothing wrong with repeating the same action 7 days in a row as horses learn by repetition. Perhaps it's time to add incentive to the filly when her hoof is place on the hoof jack. Pop a treat in her mouth as she sets her foot down. Help her remove it then set it again. After 3 or 4 times she'll want to do this in order to get the treat. Gradually extend the time her hoof remains on the stand before you remove it. She's not to remove it or no treat. Do this many times with all fours. When the farrier comes, use his jack a couple of times and treat her if she does as you've been training. From the horse's point of view, when a hoof is being worked on, the horse fears it can't escape that predator that's lurking about. Anticipating a treat causes a surge of endorphins and the horse relaxes.

I think sometimes Impressive bred horses can be on the more difficult side. I have one myself, a 5 year old mare who has impressive a couple generations back. I've even talked to some people who's horses have Impressive in their line and they tend to have the same problems I do. I love my mare more than anything and wouldn't trade her for the world but sometimes she can be difficult. She's a spooky horse and when she spooks there is no calming her down. She tends to not think things through, she just reacts/blows up. Another trait which might just be a coincidence is that they don't like you being in their mouth. Some other Impressive bred owners have told me the same thing, you have to have very soft hands.

I still don't consider my Impressive bred paint crazy or nuts, but yes, you absolutely cannot take a hold of his face.
Long, loose reins and he is a happy camper, put him on a tighter contact and he tosses his head and bucks. He also will not tolerate hackamores...doesn't appreciate nose pressure...maybe just his quirk, though!

Given that Impressive sired 2250 foals in his lifetime, I think the fact that you have a nutso horse who also happens to have Impressive are completely unrelated. If you own a QH or Paint, there is also a strong likelihood that he/she could have Impressive in their background.

I have a filly born this year by a stallion who goes back 5 generations to Impressive. My reason for choosing him was that he was so extremely calm and docile. My young nephews came with me to look at him and they were brushing and grooming and making noise and he barely batted an eyelash.

She is much the same. She stands stock still when I bathe her, has no issue with being sprayed with fly wipe, spot remover, show sheen, picks up her feet, has had her feet trimmed with no issue, doesn't mind being touched anywhere and tries really hard to do what I ask if she thinks it will get her a "good girl" and a scratch.

You'd love my NH, big boob that he is. He loves people. Has impeccable manners most of the time and pretty good the rest of the time. Set out the mounting block and he'll line himself up even when at liberty. He loves to be touched, brushed and even lifts his hind leg to make it easier for me to slather petroleum jelly on his nether parts.

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